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Rangers' Daniels named Exec of Year

Rangers' Daniels named Exec of Year

ARLINGTON -- Rangers general manager Jon Daniels doesn't have his contract extension yet but he has received a major honor.

Daniels has been selected by Baseball America as the 2010 Major League Executive of the Year, the publication announced on Friday.

"It was richly deserved," Rangers CEO Chuck Greenberg said. "It's another great honor to J.D. and his staff. J.D. is one of the prime reasons why this organization's future is so bright."

Daniels is signed through 2011. Both Greenberg and club president Nolan Ryan indicated during the postseason that Daniels would be with the Rangers for a long time and he declined to take advantage of an out-clause in his contract at the end of the season.

The Rangers gave manager Ron Washington a two-year contract extension immediately after the season but have yet to address Daniels' situation.

"Nolan and J.D. have had preliminary discussions," Greenberg said. "But with all the things they have been dealing with since we began an abbreviated offseason, they have prioritized other matters. But it will be taken care of sooner than later."

Daniels just completed his fifth season as the Rangers' general manager. Over the past few years, he and his staff have been lauded for building up the farm system, and that work paid off at the Major League level in 2010.

The Rangers won the American League West for the first time since 1999 and advanced to the World Series for the first time in franchise history. They did so while going through an ownership change and operating under strict financial guidelines mandated by Major League Baseball.

But the Rangers were able to make a number of moves that put them over the top, most notably acquiring pitcher Cliff Lee from the Mariners on July 9 in a six-player trade. The Rangers beat the Rays in the AL Division Series and the Yankees in the AL Championship Series before fall to the Giants in five games during the World Series.

"It's really an organizational award -- this is a huge operation involving the efforts of so many people," Daniels said. "I'm just honored to be part of a really talented, creative group, and to accept this on behalf of everyone who works here. Hopefully this is just the beginning. Now we've got to find a way to get a little better, to get back there next year, and find a way to win those last three games."

Daniels is the second Rangers general manager to receive the award. Doug Melvin won it in 1998.